"PATIENT ZER0"

"Untitled"

Chapter Four

"Untitled"

"You know you have to start the tests eventually, right Caspian? Stop messing around and do your job - you know what happened la-"

"You're damn right I know what happened last time Ian! With all due respect, this is my assignment and I'm just trying to make sure nothing like that happens again. So can you just back off?" He cut the man off.

"No, I won't. Cause I think this is something else. Caspian you can't-"

"I can't what?" He growled, Ian had struck a nerve."I'm not doing anything. I'm aware of what you're insinuating. All I did was give her my hoodie cause she was cold! She was shivering because of your incompetence, I asked you to leave some new clothes for them and you didn't. I should've known better than to ask a rotting old man to do my jo-" the angry child was cut off when Ian harshly struck his face with his fist, sure to leave a bruise to form. He just didn't know when to shut up, but neither did Ian.

"I'm only trying to help you, boy! One more incident from you and you know she'll be killed. You know you're not the only one who loved her! We all did, and what they had you do to her was terrible - we get that. But don't make the same mistake twice! I'm just trying to save you from doing something stupid!" he hollered right back at the muddy brown haired child beneath him.

"You have a tendency of thinking you know everything about everyone," Cas spat out lowly. "Well let me tell you something - you don't. I know she's still alive, they promised me she was. I love Elizabeth, and nothing is gonna change that. I'm personally offended that you'd think I'd... that I'd forget about her so soon." He mumbled in response, the bearded man standing above him was stricken.

"Again, you prove to me you are still a child, that was not what I meant. But Caspian, it's been three years. They have the best minds at their disposal, do you really think it would take so long to help her?" caspian stiffened.

"No length of eternity will ever be enough time for me to forget her. You know that. They swore they would do everything in their power to help her, sometimes it takes a while for the right advancements to come into play in the right way. I can't give up hope, and I never asked for your input. Now leave my lab before you really get me mad," He asked through clenched teeth. Ian took a step back, unclenching his jaw and fists.

"Alright, I'm sorry to have offended you then." he mumbled without expecting an answer, walking away. Once he was far enough, young little Constantine allowed himself to wince. Reaching over to the mini fridge beneath his desk, Caspian grabbed one of the ice packs he kept handy for occasions like this and a rag. He also grabbed one of the safe dirty bombs An Bao had invented that he planned to use in order to safely administer different doses of the radiation. He remembered to grab another for Cameron's father, and stood to fetch the guards.

Walking down the corridors and into both cells preparing the two bombs was definitely not his idea of fun. He hated doing this, taking people who didn't volunteer just to slowly kill them. This girl had a family looking for her somewhere, a little sister who's mind they'd have to tamper with in order to get them all to forget.

*********

Cameron was not about to lie, the moment Caspian strode down the halls with guards behind her in those hazmat suits she felt betrayed. She didn't know why she expected any mercy from this soulless man - and the moment he walked through that locked door she spat on him. He stood still, wiping away the substance from the plastic screen of his helmet and glowered at me with such an intensity that I knew some kind of hit would follow but none ever came. He simply swallowed and calmed himself, strapping the small object to a nearby wall.

"Listen up. As long as you don't mess with this thing over here, you shouldn't die." He told me blatantly.

"Shouldn't die?" I questioned warily - but he ignored me.

"You're only gonna be exposed to about 2 Grays of the dirty bomb and we'll monitor your body's responses. After three hours, you should really start to feel the radiation sickness. Tomorrow morning you'll get antibiotics to combat the effect-"

"Tomorrow morning?! But it's five in the morning now!" she hollered. "You're really gonna put my dad through that? He's an old man!" I pleaded not for my own life, but for my fathers.

"You know, it's funny you say that," he chuckled darkly - "Because he begged me not to do this to you. He pleaded - "Don't hurt her, she's just a little girl.." but you know what? Chivalry doesn't pay. Didn't anyone get the damn memo?! So just do me a favor and make this easier for me, sit down and take it without resisting and you'll be fine," He growled.

"Yeah, until you raise the doses," I mumbled - not expecting him to hear but he did.

"When that happens, you get no antibiotics. Your father does. We have to test the difference, and I figured you'd want him to have them - or am I wrong?"

I remained silent, not knowing what to say...

This man was terrible, truly truly terrible. He was a coward, only doing as he was told - and he knew it was wrong. He is vile.

She was left alone with nothing but her thoughts as Caspian briskly shut the door behind him and his assistance. Through the glass wall of the cage they had put her in, she glowered at the scientist. He said himself he hadn't wanted to do this, she knew that to be true.

But did she?

After all this time, was the possibility of an established connection with the boy just some false hope, something to distract her from thinking of the reality that was coming her way as they spoke just outside? Treating her and her father like some sorts of guinea pig??? She reveled in her anger, pacing back and forth in her tiny cell. Through the corner of her eyes she could've sworn she saw a hint of worry and sorrow in his eyes - but as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. He was so confusing! What could possibly lead him to thinking this could be right? Over the next few minutes this was the only question on her mind.

Could it be money? No, he's one of the smartest people on the face of the earth, he's worth a lot of money.

Maybe it was something else then? But what could it be?? This question pestered her, to no end. In fact, she was very close to tearing out her own hair - until she heard Caspian's voice.

"Okay, so to avoid any extra negative effects, ones we don't want, please lie still on the bed you've been provided. Make this easy for us," He ordered dryly.

"And what if I don't want to?" She spat back at him with an intense ferocity.

"Then I'll have to send someone in to make you, and I know neither of us want that - isn't that right?" He glowered at her. His assistants seemed to sense this was something more than they were being payed to witness, but still kept their mouths shut. They decided it was none of their business and they shouldn't make the situation worse by staring. Grunting, bemused, that stupid snarky scientist smirked. There was no way she could get out of this, no way she could escape her sorrowful fate. Eyes falling, tears brimming her eyes, she gave up to lie still.

Then came the pop.